If Dennis Rodman was a complicated personality off the court, imagine being one of his kids. Rodman’s rollercoaster of a personal life included three failed marriages among a lot of dating drama. But what takes up public consciousness is his relationship with his kids. Rodman is a dad to Alexis, Trinity, and DJ from two past marriages. However, the kids are mostly estranged from him due to the 5x NBA champion’s absence from their childhoods. Trinity and DJ have done well stepping out of their father’s shadow while their eldest sister has chosen a quieter life.

Seems like the apples fell very far from the Rodman tree. While Trinity and DJ are unlike the most flamboyant man to step on the NBA court, Alexis is a different type of Rodman.

Alexis Rodman’s athletic genes are coming good

Alexis Rodman is no hoopster but the athletic genes run strong. She, however, took her talents to the pool. Alexis is a swimmer and now a swim coach based in California. After coaching at a high school swim team, she’s currently the assistant coach of the Rio Del Oro Rapids swim program.

Interestingly, in her coaching bio, the freestyle and breaststroke enthusiast said her favorite quote is, “If you quit once, it becomes a habit. Never quit.” You know, the one by her dad’s teammate, Michael Jordan. At least one NBA player influenced her athleticism. But how did it come to this?

Dennis Rodman was new in the fame game when he met Annie Bakes. Their only daughter, Alexis Rodman, was born on September 28, 1988, when her dad was building towards his first championship with the Detroit Pistons. After five years on and off together, Annie and Dennis married in 1992.

Marital bliss lasted 82 days – 10 days more than Chris Humphries was married to Kim Kardashian – before Rodman divorced Bakes. This time, they broke up for good. Alexis would primarily be raised by her mother. Meanwhile, her estrangement from Rodman grew and it’s something to former pro-athlete struggled with.

Years later, he’d marry Michele Moyer with whom he had two kids, Trinity and Dennis Jr aka DJ. But they were no clean slate because he’d repeat the same mistakes with his youngest kids as he did with Alexis.

In his 2019 ESPN documentary, Rodman: For Better or Worse, Rodman struggled to reconcile with the fact that he was not “a good dad.” NBA athletes have long spoken about how difficult it is to be present in their kids’ lives traveling between games and workouts. But Rodman acquired a notoriety for partying in his free time rather than being with his kids. A lot of the issues stem from his own turbulent relationship with his absent father. It showed in a 1996 interview when he expressed how little he’d seen a then-eight-year-old Alexis.

Rodman reconnected with all his kids as adults. He’d tell Oprah Winfrey on her show in 2013 that he had seen Alexis, 24 years old then, for the first time in years. They fixed their relationship in time for Dennis to be there for some important milestone.

Dennis Rodman the granddad

Alexis married Robert Bunfill on August 30, 2014, in California. From those old social media posts their loved ones shared, it appeared to be a low-key wedding and Rodman was present.

He may have not been the ideal father but he’s making it up by being the wild grandad. When Alexis and her husband welcomed their first child, Vincent, together in June 2017, Rodman announced his new title to the whole world. “Wow, congrats to my daughter Alexis and her husband for the birth of their 1st baby: Vincent! I can’t believe I’m a grandfather!”

We can’t believe it either. But Yella Yella’s boyfriend is loving the new role.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.